eyecare professional magazine october 2011 issue

AFFORDABLE EYEWEAR & SUNWEAR / PAGE 6 A NEW SOCIETY FOR OPTICIANS / PAGE 14

October 2011 • Volume 5, Issue 46 • www.ECPmag.com

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AFFORDABLE EYEWEAR & SUNWEARStay ahead of the slow economy by offering your patients affordable, quality eyewear.by ECP Staff

SOCIETY TO ADVANCE OPTICIANRYThe goal of the SAO is to recognize and allow advanced opticiansto promote their credentials.by Warren G. McDonald, PhD

DO CLOTHES MAKE THE ECP?Our appearance as medical professionals is crucial in building ourpatient’s trust.by Judy Canty, ABO/NCLE

OPTICAL FIRINGManagers should handle the unpleasant action of firing in an efficient and sympathetic manner.by Anthony Record, RDO

DISPENSING SOUND AND VISIONProfile of EyeCanHear, who provide comprehensive hearing programs for ophthalmologists.by Lindsey Getz

HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPSColored contact lenses are just one of the potential dangers children face on October 31st.by Elmer Friedman, OD

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EDITOR/VIEW .....................................................................................................4

INDUSTRY PROFILE........................................................................................24

MOBILE OPTICIAN .........................................................................................28

THE FASHIONABLE ECP.................................................................................30

OD PERSPECTIVE ............................................................................................38

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT.............................................................................42

ADVERTISER INDEX .......................................................................................46

INDUSTRY QUICK ACCESS ............................................................................47

LAST LOOK .......................................................................................................50

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OCTOBER2011

Vol. 5Issue 46

On The Cover:RUDY PROJECT [email protected]

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Publisher/Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff SmithProduction/Graphics Manager. . . . . . . . . . . Bruce S. DrobDirector, Advertising Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . Lynnette GrandeContributing Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Judy Canty, Paul DiGiovanni, Gary Fore, Elmer Friedman, Lindsey Getz, Ginny Johnson, Jim Magay, Warren McDonald, Laura Miller, Anthony Record, Jason Smith, Carrie WilsonTechnical Editor . . . . . . . . Brian A. Thomas, P.h.D, ABOMInternet Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Adler

Opinions expressed in editorial submissions contributed to EyeCareProfessional Magazine, ECP™ are those of the individual writers exclusively and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EyeCareProfessional Magazine, ECP™ its staff, its advertisers, or its reader-ship. EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ assume no responsibilitytoward independently contributed editorial submissions or any typographical errors, mistakes, misprints, or missing informationwithin advertising copy.

ADVERTISING & SALES(215) 355-6444 • (800) [email protected]

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EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ is published monthly by OptiCourier, Ltd.Delivered by Third Class Mail Volume 5 Number 46TrademarkSM 1994 by OptiCourier, Ltd.All Rights Reserved.

No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced in anyform or by any means without prior written permission of thepublisher.

OptiCourier, Ltd. makes no warranty of any kind, eitherexpressed, or implied, with regard to the material contained herein.

OptiCourier, Ltd. is not responsible for any errors and omissions,typographical, clerical and otherwise. The possibility of errorsdoes exist with respect to anything printed herein.

It shall not be construed that OptiCourier, Ltd. endorses, pro-motes, subsidizes, advocates or is an agent or representative forany of the products, services or individuals in this publication.

For Back Issues and Reprints contact Jeff Smith, Publisher at800-914-4322 or by Email: [email protected]

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MagazineEditor / viewby Jeff Smith

I’ve just returned from Vision Expo West in Las Vegas, and the one topic oneveryone’s mind was the economy. I heard varying accounts of how the reces-sion/slump/downturn is affecting independent practices across the country. It

seems the most diversified dispensaries are doing ok, although it appears a numberof high-end practices are still struggling. The attendance at the Expo was actuallypretty good, and the consensus among our writers is that the eye care industry isbetter positioned than most to weather this period of slow to no growth.

Eyecare Professional Magazine would like to hear how you are coping in these challenging times, so please email [email protected] and let us know how thecurrent climate is affecting your practice.

Aside from the ubiquitous “R” word, this month we have the usual assortment ofentertainment, editorial, and education:

We are featuring the latest in affordable eyewear and sunwear, an area of the marketwhich is more important than ever. Warren McDonald describes how the newSociety to Advance Opticianry isn’t just another organization, but a group committedto promote opticians who have advanced credentials. Judy Canty illustrates theimportance of a professional appearance in the modern optical dispensary.

Anthony Record alerts managers on the correct way to terminate an employee,sympathetically but also with the practice’s best interests in mind. If your practice ishiring and is suffering from a lack of qualified applicants, Ginny Johnson has thesolution. Paul DiGiovanni interviews Rick Norwood of web-based optical vendorNorwood Vision Group.

First impressions are everything in this competitive marketplace, and your dispensary should reflect that, states Laura Miller. Halloween – as Elmer Friedmanaptly explains – is the time of year to be weary of colored contact lenses and otherpotential hazards. Lindsey Getz profiles EyeCanHear, a company that provides comprehensive hearing programs for ophthalmologists.

Jason Smith discusses a difficult case study that provides a cautionary tale for ECPseverywhere. Gary Fore describes the importance of teamwork and customer service,and Jim Magay offers some unique views on dealing with the economic crisis.

This is only part of what this month’s issue has to offer, and please remember thatall of our articles are also available online at: www.ecpmag.com. We also have aninteractive, digital version of the complete magazine – advertisements included – on the website. Also check out our OptiBlog, which enables readers to post comments at the end of each article.

EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL

4 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | OCTOBER 2011

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1. Viva International GroupThis fall, CANDIE’S Eyewear introduces two new women’soptical styles, inspired by the intricate metal detailing foundin the CANDIE’S apparel and accessories collection. Thestyles fuse together handcrafted materials and striking colorcombinations to create fashion runway-inspired designs forthe trendy lifestyle of today’s CANDIE’S girl.www.vivagroup.com

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men and 3 for women) with a slim stainless steel templeover-molded with colored polyurethane rubber (latex-free).

Consistent with the LIGHTEC range: 100% stainless steelproducts fitted with an exclusive screwless “alpha” spring

hinge. www.morel-eyewearusa.com

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6. Modern OpticalA woman’s eyes are one of her most important features, and they

deserve to be accessorized at an affordable price.The Modern Art Collection debuts with 20

stunning styles projecting a fresh, distinctiveair of sophistication. Feel the elegance of

Modern Art while enjoying such practicalfeatures as French Comotech spring hinges and handmade zyl

temples. www.modernoptical.com

3. XX2i – Visionary OpticsAffordable eyewear for our times, the XX2i line is fullyRxable and offers dealers 66.7% margin and a uniqueconfiguration – two frames, two lens cloths, 5 lenses and abeautifully engineered hard case to hold it all. Most patientswon’t believe the price and quality of the eyewear, bumper tobumper lifetime warranty is standard. www.xx2i.com

4. Danish EyewearThe Danish Eyewear collection of UNITY, Cph-Stage andDanish Eyewear is dominated by plastic and metal frames inthe latest colors – the frames are international collectionswith the touch of Scandinavian look.www.danisheyewear.com

5. Jee ViceHandmade with love and passion, each Jee Vice frame isdesigned specifically to fit the contours of a woman’s face.Reminiscent of the glamour of old Hollywood, the Jammy isa stylish frame with a fantastic fit and is available in a varietyof innovative colors, such as the featured Jammy BurgundySilk. www.jeevice.com

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Trevi Coliseum Eyewear

Clark 773 frames are constructed of the highest quality mate-rials, including Mazzucchelli Zyl and spring temples for addedcomfort and durability, backed by a two year warranty. Made100% in Italy at price points that maximize your bottom line.The 773 is available in 4 stunning colors, Ivory (shown) Pink,Cognac and Light Brown. Sold exclusively in North Americaby National Lens. www.national-lens.com

LBI Eyewear

ADINA is a sassy little ladies plastic frame from the LimitedEditions collection. It’s a rectangular frame with springhinges, and the temples are a main attraction with their play-ful crackle design. ADINA is available in black, brown, andplum, in size 52 x16 x 136. Patients with high-end taste and alimited budget will find it a refreshing alternative to the wal-let. www.lbieyewear.com

ZylowareSophia Loren M229 is a semi-rimless metalframe in a rounded shape that will complimentany face shape. The metal endpiece and templefeature a delicately subtle floral motif that adds abit of sophistication to this frame. The handcraftedzyl temple tips provide an extra splash of color.Spring hinges and snap-in nosepads give the weareradditional comfort. www.zyloware.com

Scheyden

Featured is the Scheyden frame called “Panorama.” This framecomes in both Black and Havana Tortoise colors. Lenses aremade from 8-layer Mineral Glass or CR39 and come Polarizedand Non-Polarized in either Bronze or Grey tints. All framesare hand-made in Japan. www.scheyden.com

Alpha Viana

This wonderful kid’s collection features a wide selection ofstyles that combine bright and bold colors with unique 180-degree temples, perfect for active kids who test their eyewearto the limit. Our design features include duo-color combina-tion and striking colored temples. Spring hinges and hand-crafted acetate guarantees the durability of the frames.www.alphaviana.com

Clariti Eyewear

Clariti Eyewear frame SMART S7108 is affordably pricedwithout compromising its intricate and bold style. The S7108frame is made of plastic and comes in three crystal accentedcolors: burgundy / pink (shown), brown / honey, and champagne. The S7108 is sure to make you look like a millionbucks without denting your wallet. www.claritieyewear.com


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Hilco

The Leader® Rx Sunglasses collection is one of the fastestgrowing lines in the business, for good reasons. All styles fea-ture sporty 8-base wraparound styling with the processingease and optics of standard Rx lens mounting. Affordableframe and lens pricing attract an entirely new, broader groupof sunglasses buyers to the practice. www.hilco.com

Bobster

You’ll look dangerously fashionable in the Criminals fromBobster’s Street Series line. The glossy charcoal finish andsleek design will have the cops chasing you for other reasons.www.bobster.com

Revolution EyewearThe Beatles Yellow SubmarineEyewear collection features HDA™

“High Definition Acetate.” technology,which excels in displaying patternsand graphics more sharply and vividlythan ever before. Furthermore, theHDA™ Technology can be combinedwith creative BMT, “Beautiful MetalicTouch” technique. BMT allows ultra-sharp cutting for all patternswith strong metallic touch, making the realization of any imaginable pattern possible.www.revolutioneyewear.com

Baby Banz

Junior BanZ feature UV400 Polarized polycarbonate lensesand sturdy frames, while offering new shapes and temples forthe protection and style older kids want. Each pair comes withits own matching patterned carrying case, complete with zipper clip, and a removable neoprene strap for use by kids on the move. usa.babybanz.com

Marcolin

Cover Girl Eyewear’s CG396 features a modified rectangularshape that gives this style a chic and youthful look. The circular cuts on the temples bring forth the back laminatecolor, giving this style a young feel. Spring hinges provideadditional comfort, and the metal foil logo insert on the temple tips offers brand recognition. www.marcolinusa.com


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Preliminary unaudited attendance figures forInternational Vision Expo West, held last month atthe Sands Expo and Convention Center in LasVegas, indicate that 12,359 eye care professionalsattended the show, down 436 individuals from 2010audited attendance numbers. A final complete third-party audit of International Vision Expo West will beavailable approximately six weeks after the show.

“Vision Expo West 2011 was one of our most successful shows to date. Although the attendancewas down, the amount of traffic in our booth was upconsiderably. The growing trend among attendees isto cut down the amount of frame lines that theycarry and focus on the brands that best suit theirpractice. Many of our new accounts stressed theimportance of high quality products, affordable pricepoints and reliable customer service; the three pillarsof Ogi Eyewear,” said Joseph Tallier, VP of GlobalSales for Ogi Eyewear.

Record number of organizations partnered withVision Expo West. Members from more than 25vision industry groups, including The OpticalLaboratories Association (OLA), Prevent BlindnessAmerica, American Board of Opticianry(ABO)/National Contact Lens Examiners (NCLE),American Optometric Student Association (AOSA),and the National Academy of Opticianry (NAO).

There was also more than 388 hours of world-classeducation for every area of interest (an increase ofmore than 80 hours from last year).

Continued Success and Optimism at International Vision Expo West

A Fab Four cover band perform at the Beatles Eyewear Launch.

Marie Osmond greets fans at Revolution Eyewear’s booth.

OCT2011.qxd 10/3/11 10:09 AM

helping you to grow your practice

More than 2.5 million eye injuries occur each year. By using the “Inquire. Inform. Introduce.” strategyyou can help patients protect their vision, while at the same time expanding your patient base anddiversifying your revenue stream.

To learn more about vision protection and how you can make a difference, visitwww.thevisioncouncil.org/ecp or email [email protected].

Protect Their Vision.Diversify Your Revenue.

INQUIRE. INFORM. INTRODUCE.

In the time it takes to read this article three people will suffer an eye injury requiring a doctor’s attention. Two of thevictims are probably at work. The other is likely a child or adult playing sports, or a home do-it-yourselfer.

In all, there are nearly 2500 eye injuries a day – 2000 in theworkplace, 340 at home and 110 on the sport field. Ninetypercent of which could have been prevented with proper eyeprotection. What’s the barrier?

According to research published in Accident Analysis &Prevention magazine, a key problem may be fogging. In focusgroup studies, fogging was cited in 100 percent of workgroups as a barrier to wearing safety eyewear – #1 amongvision-related causes. More proof? Over 55 percent of respondents suggested an anti-fogging solution to increase protective eyewear use.

As eyecare professionals, we can help decrease eye injuriesat every exam and fitting by addressing the importance ofsafety eyewear and uncovering any barriers to wearing it.

You’re buying safety lenses…why? The prescription itselfis the opening to discuss the issue. A work environment whereheat, cold, humidity and exertion cause a serious foggingissue may be the cause of a safety problem. Construction,mining, utility work, food service, first responders and the military are prime suspects.

What about athletics and sports? For youth sports, safetyeyewear is often required but it should be a priority for all ath-letes, from basketball to hockey, racquet sports to snowsports, hunting to cycling. Exertion and temperature changecan trigger fog. Take off the eyewear or squint through thehaze? Neither one is a safe choice.

Do you wear safety eyewear for DIY projects?Approximately 125,000 eye injuries occur at home each year.Remind patients that safety eyewear is recommended by manufacturers of power tools, lawn equipment and manyhousehold chemical makers. Talk about safety glasses andconfirm fogging is not a problem.

Make safety comfortable, attractive and easy. When pre-scribing or advising on safety eyewear, remember that comfortis crucial. If it pinches, slides or rubs, it’ll be taken off. You canmake safety fashionable, too, with today’s more stylish safetyeyewear designs. And remember to recommend eyeglasscords, cases or clips that keep safety eyewear in easy reach.

Educate in the workplace, locker room and schools. Be a safety advocate. Volunteer to talk to workers, athletes and parents. There are many resources available for your presenta-tion, including some at our website, www.defogitworks.com.

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14 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | OCTOBER 2011 Continued on page 16

The 21st Century OpticianWarren G. McDonald, PhD

Professor of Health AdministrationReeves School of Business / Methodist University

Announcing the Society to

Advance OpticianryThe Society to Advance Opticianry, which I am pleased toannounce, is now officially open for membership. Now, I knowwhat comes immediately to mind, “Oh no, another organiza-tion, that is all we need.” But I am here to tell you, this one isJUST what we need. I did an article on its early developmentlast year and it is now officially taking applications for membership. It is not the typical association, but a society oflike minded professional opticians from across the country whowant to see the profession advance. It officially “opened forbusiness” at the ABO/NCLE Conference in Cincinnati and support for the concept was just outstanding.

The Genesis of the Concept

The idea for a new and different organization, now termed a“society,” developed after I read an announcement from theCertified Professional Accountants (CPAs) who were trumpet-ing the new, increased requirements to sit for their very rigor-ous certification examination. I marveled at this idea, because itis so foreign to opticianry. Today, to sit for the CPA requires aminimum of 150 semester hours of academic credit. This isnow 30 semester hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. Wow!This said to me that these folks were serious about assuring thatanyone who achieved this lofty status was well educated andtrained. I really appreciated that fact, and realized that there aremany accountants out there, and that only those with the finestcredentials could actually use the CPA title.

Ergo, my pause for reflection! I immediately thought of the various requirements opticians face across the country (or in 27states, the lack thereof). In my ongoing research, I find 22 statesthat require a state license. Each state varies in what they requireand hold theirs as sacrosanct. None of them will work withanother to make licensure across state lines easy to achieve andI have often pondered as to why this is so. Is dispensing a pairof spectacles different in North Carolina and South Carolina? If not, then allow me to use those states as examples. Why doesmy home state of NC require a 9-part, 2-day exam, while SConly requires the ABO and a 3-hour practical? Disparaterequirements like that exist in all of the 22 licensed states. It isridiculous...even bordering on silly, that there are such differences among the licensing boards of the various states.

Also of concern is the reduction in admission requirements bythe ABO/NCLE. In the past, these national board certificationexaminations required a year of experience prior to sitting forthem. Now, rather than improving the overall quality of theapplicant, the ABO/NCLE has made it less stringent. All that isrequired is a pulse and a check that clears and boom, you cantake the examinations. What affect has this had on the individ-ual taking the exam? Pass rates are just slightly over 50%. In thepast, those rates were in the 65%- 70% range. What affect has ithad on the profession? You be the judge. While it is true that theABO/NCLE now offers several advanced certification examsnone of those higher level exams have been adopted for statelicensure requirements yet.

The Discussion Continues

Optiboard is an online discussion forum for opticians. This is avery popular site, owned by optician Steve Machol, that allowsopticians to have a place to discuss topics in cyberspace. Myargument has always been that opticians should be educatedformally, and should do far more in practice than they typical-ly can do now. Comparing CPAs and opticians, I asked if weneeded to increase our entry requirements into the profession.The discussion was fast and furious, with no real consensusreached. Many feel that apprenticeship is adequate to train opticians, while many others see the need for formal education.But from that initial discussion the idea for the SAO was born.There were a large number of folks in that discussion who hadsimilar ideas and wanted to meet to discuss them, which theydid. After meetings in around the country, the organizationmade plans to move forward, and was introduced at the 2011ABO/NCLE meeting in Cincinnati.

Society Membership

The overarching goal of the SAO is to recognize opticians whohave advanced credentials, and allow them to advertise those tothe public, much like the CPA. Those who meet the requirements for membership in the SAO, and it is not based ondues, but on qualifications, will receive the professional title,Ophthalmic Optician. It is not an open membership, butreviewed by a credentials committee. It is an honor that must beearned, and not bought. I asked Gary McArrell, the organization’s secretary to comment on those qualifications,and his response is the following:

OCT2011.qxd 9/30/11 2:40 PM

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Requirements for the Society to Advance Opticianry’sOphthalmic Optician Designation

Applicants for the Ophthalmic Optician designation must be currently ABO and NCLE certified and state licensed if they livein a licensed state. Additionally, they must hold at least anAS/AAS degree in optical sciences from an accredited or approvedcollege or they must hold at least an AA/AS degree in any field ofstudy from an accredited or approved college plus an advancedcertification from the ABO or NCLE.

Upon application and approval, opticians who have met the higher education, certification and licensure requirements will bedesignated Ophthalmic Opticians and be members of the Societyto Advance Opticianry.

The SAO was established by a diverse group of opticians thatbelieve formal education is necessary for opticianry to grow andflourish as a profession.

Opticianry is the only field of the three O’s that has no formaleducation as an entry point. Only twenty two states require licensure or registry of opticians. The remaining twenty eightdon’t have even minimal standards to work as an optician.

Those that do require licensure generally require passage of theNational Opticianry Competency Exam (NOCE) administeredby the American Board of Opticianry (ABO) and the ContactLens Registry Exam (CLRE) administered by National ContactLens Examiners (NCLE).

One of the goals of the SAO is to increase mobility and reciprocity between states for opticians. That will necessarilyinclude standardization of licensure requirements among statesand will certainly include passage of both of these exams.

Those who have earned a degree of some type have shown theyhave a certain level of critical thinking ability demanded by ourever changing ophthalmic marketplace. When they have complet-ed an advanced certification from the American Board ofOpticianry or National Contact Lens Examiners they havedemonstrated a higher level of knowledge and skill than an optician that hasn’t earned those certifications.

A student who has earned an associate degree or associate inapplied science degree in opticianry has likewise demonstrated ahigher level of learning and skill.

Someone that desires to be recognized as an expert in ophthalmicoptics should have a well rounded knowledge of all the disciplinesin our field. That includes keeping current with the ever changingtechnologies in spectacles and contact lenses.

Our purpose isn’t just to recognize those that have met these goals,but to help those who desire to achieve a higher level of educationget there as well. If you meet these qualifications, join us and helpothers get there as well. If you haven’t, we are here, ready to help.

I also asked SAO president Laurie Pierce for comments on theorganization:

The first gathering of like-minded opticians met in Atlanta at theSEOC July, 2010. Little did we know that we would be officiallylaunching the new organization, The Society to AdvanceOpticianry at the National Opticians Conference in Cincinnati,Ohio a little over one year later. Many of the board membersworked extremely hard, donating their time to gain legal status,create membership certificates, write press releases, create a booth,banner, and took their own time and money to fly to the conference to spread the word. The positive feedback we receivedexceeded my expectations. All of the opticianry organizations werethere, and we had a chance to communicate our mission and goalsfor them. It can be hard for new opticians to navigate the opticalwaters. It can be equally hard for veteran opticians to be motivat-ed to go back to school and to earn higher optical credentials.

The SAO is dedicated to acknowledging those who have achieveda place where they are certified in all aspects of opticianry andhave completed formal education. Additionally, the SAO is dedicated to mentoring those who wish to join this movement bymeans of Candidate member. We will meet again at the OpticiansAssociation of America’s Leadership meeting in January. I am verypleased and excited to be working with such a great board ofdirectors, who come from all areas of opticianry and help advanceour profession further.

The Society to Advance Opticianry will not be offering continuing education hours or political support for opticians.Other organizations perform those tasks. The SAO will do onlya couple of things they feel are important to recognizing theefforts of those with advanced credentials, the CPAs ofopticianry, if you will:

1. The SAO will offer those with appropriate credentials asspelled out above the opportunity to market themselvesas someone with advanced credentials to solve the hardcases... someone a cut above the competition!

2. The SAO will offer a mentoring process, whereby thosewho wish to become an Ophthalmic Optician can do sowith the guidance and support of those who havealready achieved this lofty status.

I am excited to report the organization is now formed andaccepting members. Please contact them at their website,www.advanceopticianry.org ■

OCT2011.qxd 9/30/11 2:40 PM

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IN 1975, JOHN T. MOLLOY wrote “Dress for Success.” It wasan instant bestseller. In 1978, he wrote “Women’s Dress forSuccess,” another hit. We cringed at stories of careers derailed bya poorly sewn shirt button or a badly chosen tie. Our heartsached for jobs lost over improper skirt lengths or inappropriatefootwear. We learned, however, the difference between fashionand style. We learned that our appearance tells our story beforewe say the first word.

According to Kim Zoller at Image Dynamics, 55% of anotherperson’s perception of you is based on how you look.

55%!

So, what does your work wardrobe say about you?

When asked, my ECP friends were horrified at the prospect ofwearing anything approaching a uniform. “Judy,” said one, “Ihave a wardrobe from Ann Taylor. Why would I want to cometo work in pajamas?” Her new boss was asking her to wearscrubs, like the other staff members. The other staff membersare not helping patients design fashionable and functional eye-wear. She is.

I am of the mind that it is nearly impossible to sell fashionableeyewear while wearing pajamas. Don’t believe that scrubs and

pajamas are very nearly the same thing? Go to your nearest fabric store, open a pattern book and find the patterns forscrubs. Yup, they’re right next to the patterns for pajamas.

Pose the question of workplace attire online, and you get anumber of different answers.

Some like scrubs, because it makes the daily “what to wear”question easy. Scrubs. For variety, scrubs in different colors forevery work day. But, still scrubs.

Scrubs are not flattering to anyone...ever. Now, throw on a labcoat, drop a couple of pounds of optical junk in the pockets andit’s “Captain Kangaroo” time. You thought your hips were a little wide before? Back up to a mirror in scrubs AND a lab coatwith pockets full of stuff.

The first time I was required to wear a lab coat, I was confused.I wasn’t working in the lab. I was one of three licensed opticiansworking with clients. What was I protecting my clothing from?Lens cleaner? Lunch? It was, I suspect, an attempt to have us allin a uniform of some kind.

Going from the fat to the fire, my next company required wearing a navy blue blazer. A step up from the lab coat, Ithought, until I got the blazer. I will swear the fabric was madefrom recycled grocery bags. Hot, heavy and it repelled water.Did I mention that it needed to be dry cleaned? An expense notcovered by my employer. However, the blazer did differentiatethe retail staff from the lab staff. The lab staff wore...lab coats.Imagine that. They needed the pockets and the protection fromwater, polish, slurry, alloy and tint dyes.

Scrubs are great in hospitals and in medical offices where anymanner of fluids may launch in your direction, but they do notbelong in a professional retail dispensary. I feel the same wayabout visible tattoos. Tattoos that show through your light-weight summer shirt are visible. Wear a sweater or an under-shirt. But I digress.

So, what is proper attire for a professional optical dispensary?The majority opinion, both online and in conversation, is this:

Dispensing OpticianJudy Canty, ABO/NCLE

Do Clothes Make the ECP?

OCT2011.qxd 9/29/11 2:31 PM

FOR MEN:

• A collared shirt, either a dress shirt or a polo shirt, cleanand pressed.

• Trousers and a belt or braces, clean and pressed.Sorry beach guys, shorts just don’t cut it professionallyspeaking.

• A tie, also clean. Don’t like ties? Tough. Women like tieson men and women spend more money on eyewear thanmen. Not being an unreasonable person, a tie and a poloshirt are not a good look.

• Nice shoes, clean and polished. Athletic shoes? Only if yougo the polo shirt route. Athletic shoes and dress clothesare too “high school prom” rebellion.

• Hair should be neat and clean. The “Rob Ryan” look isfine for football sidelines, but not in a professional officesetting. Believe me, Tom Landry must be spinning in hisgrave.

FOR WOMEN:

Ok, I’ll be honest here. Women’s clothing is much more diffi-cult to work with. There are about eight different collar styles,5 different sleeve lengths and I can count 5 different cuff treat-ments. That’s just for shirts and blouses. There are at least thatmany variations on skirts, trousers, dresses and jackets.

There are, however, a few points to make.

• When choosing a top, be it a shirt, blouse or shell, sitdown in front of a mirror and make the kinds of move-ments that you would make while fitting and adjustingeyewear. If you’re looking at too much cleavage, change.Women spend more money on eyewear than men andwomen don’t want to see that and the first time they thinkthat their significant other is enjoying the view, everybodywill leave.

• If you can’t walk comfortably or sit down without dis-playing your “Day of the Week” undies, whatever you’rewearing is either too short or too tight or both.Remember, you’re an eyecare professional, fitting and dis-pensing fashionable eyewear. Make sure that first 55% ofyour story is the right one.

• I love to sew. I made a beautiful silk top with an asymmetrical hemline that came to long points at bothside seams. I got so many compliments on the top that Idecided to wear it to work. When I sat at my dispensingtable, those lovely long points got caught in the wheels ofmy chair and we became one. I could not get up withouttearing the hem in my beautiful, but not work appropri-ate silk top. It was relegated to stand up parties and placeswithout wheels on the chairs. We all have wardrobe malfunctions. Some of us learn from them, some don’t.

• Women’s shoes are another minefield. Before you investin those 3-inch stilettos, make sure you can walk in themall day. It is almost impossible to make a favorable impres-sion, let alone be friendly if you can barely take a stepwithout searing pain. There was a time where I couldspend the day in a pair of high heels, but no more. Whenthat day comes, acknowledge it and find cute shoes thatdon’t hurt. Stockings? Some wear them, some don’t. Keepin mind that Kate Middleton wears them and she lookscomfortable and polished.

FOR EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE:

• Wear great eyeglasses, even if you don’t need them. Andfor heaven’s sake have more than one pair. Your eyeglass-es are the most important part of that 55% perception.It’s what you do. I haven’t been in a dental practice yetwhere everyone didn’t have the whitest, straightest teethpossible. However, I have been in many practices wherethe staff had some of the most unflattering, poorly fittedeyewear ever made. Every patient should want to askabout the eyewear that is being worn in the office. Everystaff member should be able to tell a patient what they arewearing and why, from designer and material to lensesand lens treatments. It’s part of your office “uniform.”

I realize that office attire is a touchy subject and that I’ve probably stepped on a few toes here. I don’t want to “diss”those of you who prefer a more casual look at work or arerequired to wear something less than fashionable for the sake ofuniformity and office harmony. I simply feel very strongly thatour appearance as eyecare professionals is crucial to our acceptance as eyecare professionals by the patients we assist. I’dlove to hear your thoughts on this subject and you can email mehere at: [email protected] ■

Progressivelenses.com

OCTOBER 2011 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | 19

OCT2011.qxd 9/29/11 2:32 PM


AdlensAdlens, the UK based optical manufacturerand developer of self-adjustable eyeglasses,has appointed Michael Ferrara to the newpost of executive chairman. Ferrara will beresponsible for leading the Adlens group ofcompanies into a new phase of growth, coin-

ciding with the first commercial market launch of Adlens’products in Japan this spring. Formerly chairman of VICA,now known as The Vision Council, Ferrara was a highly-vis-ible executive in the optical industry and was CEO of MarineOptical Ltd., a CitiCorp Venture Capital equity company.

Bausch + LombBausch + Lomb has named Sheila A. Hopkinsglobal president of the company’s vision carebusiness. Additionally, B+L said that two ofthe company’s senior executives, Peter ValentiIII and Steven Robins, have assumed newroles within the organization. Hopkins will

oversee the company’s contact lens and lens care productofferings, which include such brands as Biotrue, PureVisionand renu. Valenti will lead North American vision care aspresident and Robins has been named VP and chief market-ing officer, global vision care.

Safilo GroupSafilo Group has appointed Nicola Giorgi asthe new global head of house brands, report-ing directly to Roberto Vedovotto, CEO ofSafilo Group. Giorgi joins Safilo from Tod’sGroup where he was general manager ofHogan, heading the brand’s international

expansion. Prior to that he was in the automotive industry,most recently as general manger of the Mini brand for theBMW Group.

1-800 CONTACTS1-800 CONTACTS announced that JoelSodano will fill a new senior managementposition as vice president of merchandising inits Glasses.com division. As vice president ofmerchandising, Sodano will lead the compa-ny’s efforts to develop new eyeglass and sun-

glass assortments while targeting online consumers. Prior tojoining Glasses.com, Joel spent 18 years at Luxottica Retail,most recently as the senior vice president of product devel-opment, planning and selection.

Prima Eye GroupJerry Hayes, OD, CEO and founder of PrimaEye Group has announced that NeilGailmard, OD, MBA, FAAO has joined thecompany as a founding partner and will serveas president and COO of the group, a newalliance for optometrists in private practice.

Gailmard is the founder and CEO of Gailmard Eye Center,Munster, Ind., one of the largest eyecare practices in the U.S.

Coastal ContactsCoastal Contacts Inc. the online retailer ofeyeglasses and contact lenses, has namedAaron Magness vice president, marketing,USA. Magness brings more than 10 years of senior marketing, brand and businessdevelopment experience from Zappos.com

and Williams-Sonoma. Most recently, Magness held theposition of senior director of brand marketing and businessdevelopment at Zappos.com.

AdvanticaAdvantica has appointed Robert Elsas as vice president ofmarketing. In this new role, Elsas will direct marketing andbrand strategies, in addition to managing social media initiatives for Advantica’s vision and dental business. Elsaswas with Davis Vision for over 13 years as vice president ofbusiness development and public relations. Most recently, heserved in the capacity of director, sales and marketing forClassic Laboratories in Youngstown, Ohio.

OWAAnn Englert has been named to fill the two-year term as the OWA’s next president. A member of the association formore than a decade, she brings numerous years of OWAboard experience to her new role, including her service ascommunications committee chair. Englert owns Solutions,a Miami-based consulting company which provides management resource services and specializes in evaluationof sales efficiencies, development of sales tools, collectionrollouts, recruiting and training.

Eyewear by ROIEyewear by ROI has announced the appointment of KatieLoughran to creative director, where she will be responsiblefor designing eyewear for the company’s portfolio of brands.Loughran has an extensive background in eyewear and sunwear design, working for many years at VivaInternational where she designed eyewear for licensedbrands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, Gant and Skechers.

Michael Ferrara Neil Gailmard

Aaron Magness

Sheila A. Hopkins

Nicola Giorgi

Joel Sodano

Movers AND Shakers

OCT2011.qxd 9/29/11 2:42 PM

get reminders.

connected. REMINDERS. new patients. newsletters. social. reviews. revenue. recare. educational. patient portal. efficient. engaged.

Alpine Eyecare200 North 550 East Suite 300Lehi, UT 84043Phone: 801.550.8567www.alpineeyecare.com

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Julie,

Just a friendly reminder about your appointmentwith Alpine Eyecare. Please confirm your apptby clicking the button or text link below.

Your appointment is:

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

12:00 PM

CONFIRM NOWCLICK TO CONFIRM YOUR APPOINTMENT

Dr. Scott Chamberlain

We appreciate your time and look forward toseeing you then!

Sincerely,

Refera Friend

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OCT2011_Smile.qxd 9/30/11 12:05 PM Page 1


Managing OpticianAnthony Record, ABO/NCLE, RDO

MANY OF US HAVE RECEIVED IT, AND MANY MOREWILL. SOMETIMES IT’S DESERVED, OTHER TIMES NOTSO MUCH. IT GOES BY MANY NAMES: CANNED, FIRED,LET GO, LAID OFF.

It usually catches us by surprise when...we get the ax!Unfortunately, as a practice manager or business owner some-times you have to wield it. Let’s make sure that when you dohave to cut someone loose from your team you do it with fore-thought, integrity, and professionalism.

When the time finally comes, if your staff member is surprised(truly surprised) by your decision to fire him or her, you havenot been doing your job. A professional manager documents ona regular basis, and shares that documentation with staffmembers. Whenever an extraordinarily good or bad eventoccurs with an employee, a manager should comprehensivelydocument it in a permanent file. Some managers who take theirresponsibilities seriously will actually make a daily habit ofdocumentation.

Even if nothing good or bad happens with an individualemployee, the manager will write a sentence or two aboutsomething that happened that day around the office. Nobody

necessarily ever needs to see that notebook orcomputer file, but when matters become serious,it’s there to be accessed.

Serious means matters have progressed to the pointthat if the staff member’s behavior or performancedoesn’t improve, his or her job will be in jeopardy. Forthat to be fair (and in some cases legal) the practicebetter have clear, promulgated policies and procedures in place. Policies should be clearly explained at thetime of employment, and the employee should sign a documentthat attests to the fact that the policies have been read, under-stood, and agreed to. If that has occurred, and documentationhas been carefully tended to, even if the person who gets the axhappens to fit into one of the federally protected classes (i.e.age, race, gender, national origin, religion, disability, or familialstatus) you can terminate without fear of reprisal.

Of course, all that is true, assuming one other critical thing,which is consistency. Even if you have all your ducks in a row with regard to all of the above, if someone can showinconsistency on your part, you might find yourself payingunemployment benefits that you think are unjustified,or worse, the proud recipient of a judgment due to discrimina-tory practices. Consider the following example:

You hired Julia six months ago as a front-desk receptionist.After five or six “friendly reminders” about her tardiness, youstart the write-up process. You give her a verbal warning, a written warning, a one-day suspension, and then (because shewas late for the ninth or tenth time) you guessed it – she gets theax. You’re glad to finally be rid of her, until a couple monthslater when you receive a notice that she is suing you for discrimination based on race. (Julia was the only African-American in the office.) You would certainly cry “foul!” I let hergo simply because she couldn’t get to work on time, you wouldcorrectly claim. You produce the documentation, policies, andwrite-ups.

The Optical AxThe Optical AxThe Optical Ax

OCT2011.qxd 9/29/11 2:51 PM

Unfortunately, when the work records of all the other employ-ees are subpoenaed it shows that two other employees (whohappen to be white) were each late at least half-a-dozen timesduring the year. You had let them slide because they were long-term employees and do a fabulous job with regard to sales.Julia’s lawyer alleges that you looked the other way because ofrace. I hate to invoke a tired, old cliché here, but that’s exactlywhat a judge or jury might do...if it looks like a duck, and walkslike a duck...some people are going to assume it’s a duck.Get ready to pay up, and all because of inconsistency.

If the reason you have to give someone the ax is not due to poorperformance, inappropriate behavior, etc. make sure you do theright thing. If someone is losing their job through no fault oftheir own (downsizing, business slow down, position eliminat-ed, etc.) try to follow the Golden Rule – treat that employee theway you would expect to be treated. Give plenty of notice.Offer whatever severance you can afford and is appropriatebased on tenure and performance. Write a reference letter.Point them in the direction of other opportunities if possible,and offer assurances that you will in no way stand in the way of them receiving unemployment benefits. Ask them to participate in an exit interview. Part as friends and on as goodterms as you can.

Finally, here is some advice that might actually save your life.After all, we’ve all read or heard one of those tragic accountswhere an employee has gotten the ax, only to return with a gun.Not only do they shoot the person who did the firing, manytimes they also kill anyone who happens to be there that day. Allof the other employees are (in their twisted mind) accomplicesto the firing. You should first realize that while those workplaceshootings do occur from time-to-time, they are rare. When ithappens it’s splashed on every news channel, the radio, and theInternet, but it is rare. Interestingly, many of those rampagesoccur on a Monday. Why? It’s because most managers fire people late in the day on a Friday afternoon. Why? That can beexplained two ways.

First, most managers put off distasteful things as long as theycan. Second, managers figure if they fire the person Fridayafternoon they won’t have to worry about them coming back tocomplain – after all your office is closed on weekends. There’sthe problem. Because they have no outlet, the fired employeenow has all weekend to stew about it, their rage ever increasing.They drink, they plot, they plan. Come Monday morning,everything explodes. You want them to be able to call you laterthat day or the next day to scream at you and tell you howunfair you’ve been. Let them complain. Let them vent! So what’s the advice? Fire late in the day...but early in the week.Like I said, it might save your life. ■

OCT2011.qxd 9/29/11 2:53 PM

EyeCare Professional: Please provide a brief history ofthe company.

Rick Norwood: Norwood Vision Group was foundedover two years ago to help level the playing field forindependent ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians. Having been in the optical industry for 20years working with diagnostic and finishing equipment,as well as the frames/accessories/consumables, I saw aneed to help the independents better compete with thelarge retail chains. I saw the potential for them to getsqueezed out due to the buying power of the largerchains and their ability to obtain lower priced products. I also saw the need for them to buy smaller quantities ofproduct – versus ordering large, bulk orders.

That’s why we created the approach we have: easy andfast online ordering; the ability to order all productsfrom one source including equipment, accessories, andlenses; personalized service; and competitive pricing for the same high-quality products that can be orderedthrough the large distributors that dominate our industry.

ECP: What efficiencies were realized by both you andyour customers as a result of the web based orderingsystem that was implemented a few years ago vs. tradi-tional phone orders which you still offer to your customers?

RN: About 50% of our customers order online vs. tradi-tional phone. The percentage increases over time as customers try it and see how easy it is to use and trackorders online. When we started over two years ago, themajority of our customers just wanted to order by phone.It is an ongoing focus and education of ours with ourcustomers. In the end, ordering over the internet is awin-win for both Norwood Vision and our customers – itprovides efficiencies for both. For our customers, it is

faster, it is more accurate, and we can provide fasterservice.

Also, they can track their order so they know where they stand – and they also can see a history of theirorders to help them with better inventory managementand budgeting. Ultimately, using the online ordering system helps Norwood Vision provide the most competitive pricing possible since it helps us keep ourexpenses down and passes on the savings to our customers.

However, the equipment side is 90% ordering the moretraditional way via phone and talking to a sales profes-sional as it is a larger purchase and most customers want to discuss it. I don’t see that changingunless it’s for additional units or re-orders.

ECP: Why would ECPs want to do business withNorwood Vision versus competitors?

RN: Norwood Vision obtains its product from the samelarge optical manufacturers as the largest US distributors in South Korea, Hong Kong, and China. Weoffer the exact same product with the same quality.However, what differentiates us versus our competitorsis that we are a smaller and more nimble company thatcan adjust our products and services quickly based onthe needs of our customers and the market.

As a small and growing company, our success is basedon servicing our customers. Also, historically, the opticalindustry has multiple suppliers for needed products –

Rick Norwood


Interview withNorwood Vision Group

EyeCare Professional’s Paul DiGiovanni speaking with Rick Norwood, President of NORWOOD VISION GROUP.

norwood_0911.qxd 9/30/11 10:33 AM Page 2

equipment, accessories, and lenses. Therefore, customershave to maintain separate relationships and deal with sep-arate ordering and fulfillment processes. Norwood Visionprovides one stop shopping as we have strategicallysourced products from all these three primary areas andwe also provide automated ordering and tracking – andthe value that this brings to our customers.

Customers can obtain all their products to meet most oftheir ophthalmic needs from Norwood Vision Group.Lastly, we are committed to service. We even offer a bet-ter standard warranty in the industry – two years parts andlabor on all our equipment. We’re a small company. Youget a more personalized experience – we care.

ECP: What is the advantage and value to your customersof using the electronic commerce ordering and trackingsystem?

RN: When customers order online, due to the efficienciesfor our fulfillment process, we are able to extend a 10%electronic commerce discount on every purchase – on topof the already best-in-class low pricing that we offer. Forcustomers who don’t want to order monthly, bi-monthly,or weekly, they can order as needed on a daily basis, butthey are billed on a weekly basis which does include theshipping for each order.

However, every customer has an active credit card on fileso that we don’t have the overhead of handling outstand-ing receivables – everything is charged. This is anotherway we try to keep our expenses down so we can passthe savings on. This helps streamline a customer’s order-ing and inventory process as they can order items asneeded. As I said before – the online ordering system is awin-win for both our customers and Norwood Vision. Weboth get benefits – and it helps us pass on savingsthrough our increased efficiency.

Currently we ship 98.3% of our products the same day(before 2:00 PM EST) or the following business day. Weoffer Ground, 2-Day, and Next Day services.

ECP: What plans does Norwood Vision have for expand-ing their product line?

RN: We are constantly evolving. A lot of our expansionhas been dictated by our customer base, but we are alsoaware of industry trends and can act quickly when need-ed. We added over 50 product offerings this past year.

ECP: What are the typical savings Norwood Vision canoffer its customer compared to its competitors?

RN: We offer on average a 10-20% savings on examequipment products like the ARK, Auto Lensmeter, AcuityCharts and between 25-65% saving on consumable finish-ing products like nose-pads, screws, and edge pads.

ECP: In your opinion, where is web-based ordering in theoptical industry headed?

RN: This is an exciting time in the optical industry. Justlook at the number of independent practices that nowhave their own websites. Ten years ago not many hademail addresses, five years ago few practices had theirown websites, and almost no one ordered anythingonline. I believe that web-based ordering will continue togrow into the foreseeable future.

ECP: It appears that Norwood Vision is utilizing a CostLeadership Strategy approach?

RN: Exactly. Everything is based around this businessmodel and coupled with our commitment to online order-ing, allows Norwood Vision to provide the best-in-classproducts, highest customer service, and most importantly,our pricing structure. ■

Prior to founding Norwood Vision Group in 2009, Rick Norwoodspent 20 years in the eye care industry with companies such asParagon Optical, Viva Optique, Santinelli International, andVisionix, Inc. He held a variety of positions including regional,national, and general manager responsibilities. Through thesepositions, he worked with all segments of the eye care industrywhich led him to focusing his company on offering a full rangeof services as a one stop provider and incorporating an ecom-merce platform to introduce more cost effective and efficientservice delivery and affordable product alternatives.

Norwood Vision Group is located in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, anorthwestern suburb of Philadelphia. Mr. Norwood resides therewith his wife and two sons. Though he has lived in thePhiladelphia area for 12 years, he is a Texas native and is still adie hard Dallas Cowboys and Texas Longhorns fan.

OCTOBER 2011|EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL|25

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OCT2011_VisionPrevue.qxd 9/30/11 1:20 PM Page 2

Anti-Reflective and Mirror CoatingInformation Sheet

Anti-Reflective and Mirror CoatingInformation Sheet

*Blue coming May 1st, 2011

Hydrophobic is water repellent coating. (Easy Clean)

Oleophobic is oil repellent coating. (resists finger prints and smudges)

Anti-Static is dust repellent – eliminates stat charges in the lens that attract dust.

Reflex color is the residual reflective color of the coated lenses. All coated lenses reflect some color. Depending on how it was done, the residual color is controlled (usually in the green or blue wave length of light)

Definitions

Basic AR None

One Year

One Year

One Year

Lifetime

Lifetime Proprietary ProprietaryProprietary Proprietary

Green

Green

Green

Variable

Variable

Green*BlueGold

Basic Plus

Independence

Mirror

Flash

Kodak Clear

WarrantyUltra Tough

ScratchResistance

Hydrophobic Oleophobic Anti-StaticApplied tocustomer

Own LensesReflex Color Tintable

$13.95

$17.95

$39.95

$44.95

$44.95

$54.95

Priceper Pair

CustomerCare Kit

Basic A/R Basic Plus Independence A/R

Mirror Flash Kodak CleAR

• General purpose A/R

• No Warranty

• Lens may be tinted prior to A/R

• Strip and Recoat

• Premium A/R

• One Year A/R guarantee

• One year lens replacement guarantee for scratches and A/R

• Lifetime guarantee for scratching and A/R Lens replacement if a failure occurs

• Super tough scratch resistance

• Super oil and water repellent top coat

• Anti-Static dust repellent layer





• Lifetime guarantee for scratching and A/R

• Lens replacement if a failure occurs

• Lens may be tinted

• Proprietary process

FEA Industries, Inc.(800) 327-2002www.feaind.com

APR2011_FEA.qxd 3/30/11 1:58 PM Page 3

28 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL |OCTOBER 2011

You’ve just set out to find the best ECP candidate for your optometry practice and none of the applicants are really what you had in mind.

Out of hundreds of resumes only three applicants followed thespecific instructions from your classified ad. The first applicantcurrently works for your biggest competitor, the second one can’t work on even numbered days and the third is anestablished patient whose rejected insurance claim left her witha delinquent bill.

You really want someone that can step in right away and pickup the pieces. What pieces? You know, the pieces. Any pieces.The more pieces the better. At this point just having anotherperson around would be helpful. Or would it?

A colleague knows someone with experience that is looking fora change and they are supposed to be calling you. That suresounds better than hiring someone without any experience. Onsecond thought, maybe it would be better if they didn’t haveany optical experience. At least you would know they wouldn’tbe bringing any optical baggage with them. Your staff keeps

asking you when they can expect some help. It’s nerve wrackingand stressful thinking about all of this. Why is it so hard to findhelp, especially in this economy? What if the applicant impress-es you and you hire them only to have them resign after a fewmonths? What if their personality clashes with the rest of thestaff? You can’t forget the fear of hiring someone and then business slowing down. You know the fourth quarter of 2011 isupon us and the optical business has been known to be iffy.

The day is finally over and it’s time to go home. Tomorrowlooks like a good day to call your colleague back and have a staffmeeting to discuss hiring someone for the umpteenth time.

The fear of hiring or what I like to call Hirephobia is coming toa practice near you. I’m not afraid to tell you that Hirephobiacan be a tricky phobia to work with. Statistics may indicate thatyour practice is over or understaffed. However, it’s the day today operations of the practice that usually determines the severity of Hirephobia.

If your practice has been booming with business and all of asudden you have a few off days then Hirephobia will go to work.Just when you thought it was safe to hire someone you areunsure again. Hirephobia can be kept under control with frequent doses of common sense. If fear is holding you backfrom hiring then you need to work through the fear. Your everyday actions could be costing you the new hire’s paycheck.

What common sense steps can your practice take to generateincome for your Hirephobia fund?

A lined bifocal to progressive conversion a day? That can add upto a few paychecks in no time. Remember that even BenjaminFranklin was a progressive thinker.

Paying the monthly buying group bill on time to qualify for discounts? That can save you a few dollars to hundreds ofdollars a month.

Ginny Johnson, LDO, ABOC

Help, We Need SomebodyHelp, We Need Somebody

Help, Not Just Another BodyHelp, Not Just Another Body

Help, You Know We Need Someone, Help!

The Mobile Optician

OCT2011.qxd 9/29/11 3:12 PM

Negotiating for lower product costs? You never know until youask. Also, if you self warrant your products you can lower yourwholesale costs.

Cutting out the constant work interruptions about hiring? Savemoney and hire someone already instead of paying staff to talkabout it.

Turning any lights off that aren’t being used? Fifty cents hereand there adds up.

Bartering with other business owners that offer cleaning serv-ices, carpet cleaning, landscaping? Make sure you are retail bar-tering.

Why keep throwing money right down the drain? Fix that noisyjohn or leaky faucet.

Cutting out toilet paper since you’re a paperless practice? (justkidding)

Keeping a sharp eye out for vendor’s billing errors and anycredits that you are owed? That’s money that is sometimesoverlooked in practices.

Placing a jar on the front counter to collect money for yourHirephobia Fund? (not)

Instead of worrying about the most popular practice fear of notbeing able to afford to hire any help, worry about these:

• Worry about the noticeable signs that your staff isbecoming less engaged in their work.

• Worry about your patients being taken care of to the highest degree.

• Worry about word of mouth advertising.

• Worry about what patients think when you don’t spendadequate time with them.

• Worry about service after the sale.• Worry about referrals from patients.• Worry about the attitude of your staff.• Worry about treating others like you would like to be

treated.

It doesn’t matter if your practice has been in business for 6months or 60 years, practice growth is reflected by your repu-tation. Reputation is gauged on the inside of the practice as wellas the outside. The inside being how well the staff is treated andthe outside being your patients, clients or customers.

Don’t let your reputation suffer from Hirephobia. Take thesedoses of common sense and call me in the morning.

While you were helping Sally Sue, a potential patient got tiredof waiting and left. Who has time to stand around unacknowl-edged and wait when in their mind you should have enoughhelp? Every person that walks through the door should begreeted within seconds. First impression losses could be cutwith adequate help.

You missed a phone call that was a new patient trying to sched-ule an appointment so they called the next provider on theirlist. That answering service might not be a bad idea after all.

Take good care of staff that made the Hirephobia cut. Catchthem doing something right more often than wrong. Some ofthem are doing their work and picking up the slack of unfilledpositions. Make sure you are giving them a good return ontheir investment to the practice. You get more productivity outof your help when people matter more than profits.

I hope this cures some of your Hirephobia for the sake of yourpatients, your staff and your sanity. ■

OCTOBER 2011 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL| 29

OCT2011.qxd 9/29/11 3:13 PM

Although your reputation is oh so important — word of mouthis priceless! The word on the street is that you care about yourpatients and products. You want each of them to leave youroffice feeling that he or she was treated as an individual, (not anumber) by you and your staff. As a result of your hard workand attention, your appointment books are full and your business is on the up.

Obtaining new patients is a challenge and keeping them isincreasingly difficult. First impressions are a must. Your recep-tionist with the pink hair and the facial piercings may be thefirst thing a patient notices about an office. Before they even seethe doctor, an opinion is formed. Even with less drama, is youroffice welcoming? Is your staff well-dressed? Are they wearingscrubs? Do the scrubs match? Too many times, the answer is no.Though you may have been in business for years, competitionis fierce and even the slightest thing that is “off” (includingroom temperature, quality of air, odor, etc.) will leave a lasting“first” impression...that is not favorable. More than you think,patients value your service by their overall office experience.

Therefore, you want to maintain a pleasant and professionalappearance. That goes for everyone and everything that yourpatient interacts with. Without spending a fortune or calling ina professional make-over team, you can make your office more

professional, stylish and welcoming. But remember, outwardappearance should never be a substitute for the inner-worth ofyour practice.

Decide what type of image you want your office to convey. Areyou an upper-scale office who wants to exemplify style andclass? Are you a progressive office who wants to show your cut-ting-edge technology? Are you trying to stay conservative? Nomatter what style of office you choose to have there is no excusefor lack of professional appearance. From your reception area toyour exam rooms, the optical staff and the doctor need to main-tain a professional image to your patients. Here are some guide-lines:

Create a dress code. Invest in some new and matching scrubsfor your staff if you choose to go the medical route. Scrubsshould be clean and well-fitting and bottoms should alwaysmatch the tops. If you are establishing your optical shop as aboutique, set some guidelines for dress. Skirts and dressesshouldn’t be too short and jewelry should flatter the outfit. Toomuch jewelry can look messy and be distracting. Implement ahandbook to include detailed and official dress code so therewill be no misunderstandings.

Look in the mirror. Many times, doctors get comfortable inpractice and position. You may forget to wear a tie or get accus-

The Fashionable ECPLaura Miller


Make an Optical Impression

YOUR EXCELLENT SERVICE,skills, acceptance of most insuranceplans and even your “easy paymentplans” may not be the immediate factors in attracting new patients. In this tough, competitive economy it’s all about getting new patients aswell as nurturing the old.

Make an Optical Impression

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Smile Reminder, which markets appointmentreminders and other e-messaging products for eyecarepractices, has changed its name to Solutionreach. TheLos Angeles-based company said it changed its name “in recognition of its evolution from patient-to-practicecommunication to a comprehensive engagement platform with a new brand identity.”

Over 10 years ago, the company began offering patientcommunications such as email and text-based messagesdelivered through the cloud as a subscription-based service. The company’s product line has expanded toinclude what it called “a suite of comprehensive patientand customer engagement tools” including confirma-

tions, reactivation, referrals, birthday wishes, holidaywishes, surveys, newsletters and customized promotions.

“We have literally revolutionized the way healthcarepractices are run today,” said Jim Higgins, founder andCEO of Solutionreach. “With the new branding ofSolutionreach, we are taking the next step in bringingthese same business-changing solutions to new industrieswhile we maintain our exceptional services in the healthcare fields.”

For more information, please call (866) 605-6867 orgo to www.smilereminder.com

Smile Reminder Changes Name to Solutionreach

OCT2011.qxd 9/30/11 2:49 PM

tomed to wearing sandals to the workplace. Remember, youhave an advanced degree. Dress like it. Men should come towork in pressed slacks, button-down shirt and a tie. Make sureit matches and your wardrobe is from this decade, preferablythe last couple of years. Women should wear closed-toe shoes.Your patients don’t want to see your pedicure. The same rulesapply to you as they do to your staff.

Cover the tats. Tattoos have become almost mainstream intoday’s society...well almost. You can’t control what your staffdoes with their bodies during their own time, but during yourtime, make sure visible tattoos are covered with long sleeves,pants or makeup. No matter how avant-garde your office stylemay be, you are still a medical facility. Tattoos do not alwaysgive off a clean image. Also watch for body piercings. Ask youremployees to take out facial and tongue jewelry.

Now that doctors and staff have a clean, professional look, it is time to look around your office. Does it give the same professional image? Here are some points to examine:

Start at the beginning. The reception area is normally the firstthing a patient sees. New paperwork needs to be filled out andpatients hate to wait. Make your office welcoming and comfortable. Make sure you invest in good chairs with a stylishlook and a comfortable feel. Use tables, magazine racks andplants to open up the room and add warmth. Your receptiondesk should be sleek and stylish since it is the focal point of yourreception area.

Do your walls talk? If so, what do they say? Do you have POPon your walls? If so, make sure the banners are current andappropriate. If your office is conservative, you may want to dou-ble-check your POP. All will look stylish and chic upfront, butmay be seen as provocative upon closer examination. Sex sells

in fashion but not at conservative medical practices. If there isany provocative material in any of your counter cards orposters, your patients will find it. Before you put out any mer-chandising material, have your entire office staff examine itthoroughly. They might see something that you don’t.

Are your exam rooms as comfortable as your reception? Manyoffices choose to invest heavily in their reception area, butskimp on the examination rooms. Patients, especially new ones,are usually uncomfortable during their first examination withyou. If you have a modern reception area, have a modern examroom. Let your style flow through the entire office. Manypatients base their opinions on you from their entire office visit.Keep the flow going until the end.

Are you sharing your lunch? Too many times employees leaveopen food containers lying around the office. Meals should beeaten in a designated break room. Your patients don’t want tosee a half-eaten sandwich or containers of open food. It looksunsanitary. Your reps may bring you goodies to snack on in acasual office; you may be tempted to share it with your patients.Unless the food is wrapped, leave it for the employees. If youremployees need to snack, keep the food in the break room or besure it is thrown away immediately. This is something we toooften forget in these days of rushed lunch hours.

All of the above considerations will improve and enhance both your office and your patients experience while under yourwatch. As patients think back about their visit to your office, thedevil is always in the details.

This means that fine-tuning the setting is a must in creating anoverall positive response. Putting your best foot forward is notjust an adage intended for podiatrists! ■


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OCT2011.qxd 9/30/11 12:46 PM


Practice ProfileLindsey Getz

AN ESTIMATED 1.7 millionadults age 65 and older reportboth vision and hearing loss. This

dual sensory loss makes it increasinglychallenging to communicate and canimpact the mental and physical health ofpatients. With so many experiencing thissimultaneous loss of two vital functions,it makes sense that some practices areadding a hearing solution for theirpatients. Patients already come in annu-ally for an eye exam—now they can gettheir hearing checked in the same location.

But although these two services certainly make sense together,Ron Greenberg, co-founder and CEO of EyeCanHear, a com-pany providing custom designed and comprehensive hearinghealthcare programs for ophthalmology and selected specialtyphysicians, says there are definitely some things to considerbefore taking that plunge.

Greenberg, who co-founded the practice with Sean O’Donnell,says that there are many reasons why vision and hearing makesense together. The whole idea for EyeCanHear came about byGreenberg’s effort to stay on top of the “next trend.” “As theLASIK market became challenged based on the economic situation and increasing insurance pressure, it became impera-tive that we start looking for the next biggest trend,” he says. “Practices were no longer spending major dollars onadvertising and were trying to understand what they could doto leverage the patients that walked in every day.”

Looking primarily at ophthalmic space, Greenberg says heknew that today’s waiting room is typically full of patients 50and older. So the question became: What services are those

patients seeking elsewhere that theymay be able to receive at their eyecarepractice? The answer was hearing.Starting at 35 years old, people begin tohave a decline in both visual capabilitiesand hearing wellness. Dual sensory lossis a very real issue and presents a poten-tial opportunity for eyecare practices.

Though dual sensory loss is quite common, getting patients to acknowl-edge hearing loss poses a challenge.

Many patients tend to be in denial—largely because they see itas a sign of old age. “What they think about when it comes to ahearing solution are those large hearing devices of yesteryearthat basically say ‘I’m old,’” Greenberg says. “They don’t realizethe options that are out there today.”

When paired with an annual eye exam, making hearing testingjust another routine part of a visit, some patients may be morewilling to get their hearing checked. Instead of them having tomake the first move and book an appointment for a hearingtest, it can be suggested to them during their routine visit to theeye doctor—a service they’re already seeking.

Obstacles to Implementation

There are many things to consider before integrating this typeof service into your practice. Practices often assume they canjust use their own employees for the hearing services butGreenberg says that managing hearing patients’ experience andintegrating hearing well-being into the workflow can cause a lotof disruption. For one, hearing screenings are handled muchdifferent than vision care—including even the way they’re handled by insurance. Coverage is quite different.

Ron Greenberg, co-founder and CEO of EyeCanHear

Seeand HearCombining vision care with hearing solutions makes good sense—but it’s not the right match for every practice

OCT2011.qxd 9/30/11 9:26 AM

Since EyeCanHear provides a comprehensive solution to inte-grating hearing services, they also set the practice up withlicensed Beltone Hearing Care Practitioners (HCPs). TheBeltone HCP represents your practice while working with yourpatients. The EyeCanHear team also takes on the responsibilityof integrating the marketing and communication tactics need-ed to get the program up and running. The one-time businessstart-up package includes a complete suite of hearing evalua-tion equipment; a comprehensive in-office marketing packageof posters, brochures, and collateral tailored to your practice;integration of hearing care services into your web strategy; andstate-mandated hearing sales contracts for your patients. Thecompany also offers a “Meet & Greet” with your new “HearingCare Team,” which includes “Lunch & Learn” seminars forphysicians and staff on hearing care services.

But while the marriage of vision and hearing solutions makesgood sense, there are also some legality issues to be consideredoutside of the operational challenges that can arise. Greenbergadvises that any practice considering this kind of integration dotheir homework. One thing that Greenberg does know is thatintegrating into an ophthalmic practice is much different thanan optometric one.

“In the optometric community there’s something called ‘Scopeof Service,’ and in most states it’s limited to refraction and dis-pensing of vision correcting products,” Greenberg says.

“Outside of that scope is anything to do with hearing. So theability of an optometrist to promote a hearing service is defi-nitely an obstacle, but there are still some practices wherethey’re finding ways to make it happen. If you hire a licensedhearing instrument specialist to do the screenings and deliverthe solutions, it could work, assuming the optometrist isn’tpromoting it as part of their services and as far as they aren’tbenefiting financially. This is an area where I’d strongly adviselegal and health care counsel. Optometrists need to do theirresearch and know what they’re getting into.”

Making it Work

While there are some obstacles to consider, those ophthalmicpractices that are able to incorporate a hearing solution intotheir practice are finding it to be a perfect match. Like visionsolutions, hearing solutions have the opportunity to greatlyimprove one’s well-being. “Even safety is affected by sound,”says Greenberg. “Patients should be able to hear someonescreaming or hear a siren—those are important things. But it’salso just the day-to-day function. There’s a quote from HelenKeller that sums it up very well: ‘When you lose your eyesight,you lose contact with things. When you lose your hearing, youlose contact with people.’ Hearing wellness makes all the sensein the world being paired with eyecare. Dual sensory loss is veryreal and treating both of these needs for the patient can lead toa huge improvement in their quality of life.” ■

OCT2011.qxd 9/30/11 9:27 AM


OCTOBER IS A WONDERFUL MONTH for celebrations.We have Columbus Day, Oktoberfest, Boss Day, United NationsDay and the most anticipated of all, Halloween. Columbus Dayis a quiet, safe day and the only danger that confronts us onBoss Day is to forget to send the boss a congratulatory card. Theperils of Oktoberfest lie in the manner in which a celebrant canhandle his beer.

Halloween, on the other hand, is memorable for tampered fruitand candy and wrenching stomach aches from too much candyconsumption by little people with big eyes. This is not to men-tion chalk night and mischief night when anything intolerablewill be tolerated. Igniting horse manure at the door of a neigh-bor who refused to offer a treat is one of the more distastefulactivities some will endure. However, the supposed care-freecostumes and Halloween cosmetic changes that transport us to the “monster” side of the celebration leads to the riskiest holiday tradition for Americans.

For instance – while those scary colored contact lenses that canreplicate the eyes of a devil, ghoul, or tiger have become a popular element of the costumes and can add some fun andflourish to a costume – they can also result in severe eye injuryif used without ECP advice. These decorative lenses are sometimes sold illegally to children and others who may sufferfrom devastating eye disorders such as scarring, infections oreven blindness. Many people do not realize that contact lensesare classified as medical devices and can only be obtainedthrough a licensed eye care professional.

In spite of repeated warnings regarding the special contact lenses that seem to be popular during this holiday, troubles stillremain to be solved. Statistics show that in 2003 there werenearly 1,100 eye injuries related to contact lenses treated in U.S.hospital emergency rooms. These lenses come in a wide varietyof patterns and colors. A popular variety, well known in contactfitting circles, are those that make you look scary, such as cat’seyes. They can make a very cool fashion statement, especially on Halloween. But they are not toys nor should they be treatedas such.

Over the counter purchase of these lenses can lead to seriouseye complications. These problems include decreased flow ofoxygen to the cornea, bacterial infections, swelling, eye pain,sensitivity to light, conjunctivitis, corneal abrasions, cornealulcers and loss of clear vision. If untreated, these conditions canlead to permanent eye damage and loss of sight. To prevent lossof vision and avoid painful eye injuries, the OpticiansAssociation of Ohio and the Ohio Optical Dispenser’s Boardoffer the following tips:

• Always visit a licensed eye care professional to be fitted forcosmetic contact lenses.

• Never buy contact lenses without a prescription.

Elmer Friedman, OD

Second Glance

SAFETY TIPS FOR

Ghouls, Vampires or WitchesGhouls, Vampires or Witches

OCT2011.qxd 9/29/11 2:55 PM


• Always clean and disinfect lenses according to instructions.

• Always use water soluble cosmetics or those labeled safefor use with contact lenses. Do not apply skin creams ormoisturizers too close to the eyes.

• Never wear opaque lenses if you have any trouble withnight vision.

• Never share or trade your contact lenses with anyone.

• Be vigilant about older children’s appearance before letting them leave the house. If they are wearing cosmeticlenses, question them as to where they got them.

• Never wear costumes that could block vision, such assome masks, wigs, hats, or eye patches.

• Always wear hypoallergenic or non toxic makeup. Onlyadults should apply the make-up to children and removeit with cold cream or make-up remover instead of soap.

• False eyelashes should only be applied and removedaccording to the manufacturer’s instructions on the product’s package.

• Avoid props or accessories that have sharp edges or pointed ends such as pitchforks, spears, knives, swords orwands.

Yes, eating sweet treats is also a big part of the fun onHalloween. If you’re trick or treating, health and safety expertssay you should remember these rules:

1. Don’t eat candy until it has been inspected at home.

2. Trick-or-treaters should eat a snack at home before start-ing out, so that they will not be tempted to nibble ontreats that haven’t been inspected at home.

3. Tell children not to accept or eat anything that is notcommercially wrapped.

4. Parents of very young children should remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies orsmall toys.

5. Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tam-pering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration,tiny pinholes or tears in wrappers. Throw away anythingthat looks suspicious.

Most people consider apple bobbing a jolly Halloween tradition that poses a danger no graver than getting a squirt ofwater up your nose. But now, apple bobbing has fallen foul ofthe health and safety police. They have advised participants ofthis seemingly harmless event to wear goggles and use bottledwater and remove the stalks from the apples. A hospital eyeconsultant said that “a high velocity impact with an apple” had

the potential to cause serious eyeinjury, while dirty water could lead to infection or evenblindness.

He also recommended disinfecting water containers,using bottled mineral water andturning on lights so the applebobber can see what he is doing.An ophthalmologist, ParwezHossein, from SouthamptonGeneral Hospital, even suggested contestants remove the apples byhand instead of by mouth. The youth of America will eternallyconsider the doctor’s dictum as a defeat of the whole object ofapple bobbing fun. Dr. Hossein also added glow sticks whichcontain an irritating substance if splashed on the eye to theHalloween danger list. He states that casualties on school orcommunity bonfire nights have been reduced due to increasedpublic awareness.

However, this is not true of Halloween night. Adrian Barlow,chief executive of English Apples and Pears, which representsapple growers, said, “Health and safety can be taken too far andin this case is ludicrous in the extreme. I have never heard ofanybody suffering an injury as a result of apple bobbing.”

Ophthalmologist Majid Moshirfar from the Moran Eye Centeraddresses safety rules as the participants walk on the streets atnight and are exposed to traffic. He warns, “Wear reflectiveclothing or patches somewhere on the costume to be easily seenby others. It is important on this night for pedestrians and drivers alike to obey traffic signals and signs. Younger childrenshould be accompanied by an adult while traveling about theneighborhood. Older children should trick-or-treat in groups.Participants are urged to use common sense. Never dart outbetween parked cars or hidden corners such as alleys. Don’ttrick-or-treat in busy commercial areas or where there is heavytraffic. Avoid streets that are under construction. Daylighttrick-or-treating is safer than going out after dark andHalloween parties safest of all.

Prevent Blindness America offers the following additional tips:Make sure that shoes fit well and costumes are short enough toprevent tripping and falling. Select costumes that are flameresistant. A final warning states that tripping hazards (hoses and potted plants) should be removed from your porchor walkway. Place jack-o-lanterns well out of the way ofcelebrants. We ought to keep danger and risks out of this holiday, but retain the fun. Follow the recommendations of ourexperts. ■

OCT2011.qxd 9/29/11 2:56 PM

38 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | OCTOBER 2011Continued on page 40

IAM NOT TALKING about a patient who has waited ayear or two in order to get new glasses in order to correcta small amount of nearsightedness, farsightedness,astigmatism, or presbyopia. There are plenty of people

functioning well with 20/30 or 20/40 uncorrected vision eventhough their vision can be improved with glasses or contactlenses. What I am referring to are those people who walk into your office after they have failed the driver’s license eyeexamination. These are the people with 20/400 vision in one eyeand 20/80 in the other. They are people who are driving oroperating machinery or equipment. They have never botheredcovering one eye to compare the vision between their eyes.

After the driving test, they realize that it is clearer in one eye andblurry out of the other. There are certainly some “neurologicalcomfort zones” that people adapt to with their vision. There areadaptation and tolerance issues when prescriptions are pre-scribed or when it comes to ranges of clear vision. But when apatient’s vision is so out of focus and so blurry, we have toscratch our heads sometimes and ask, “How can they think it isclear when it is not?”

This case study should be enough of a reminder as to why wecare for human eyes. What you hear or what you see as an ECPsometimes can make no sense until you unravel the mystery. Itis a lesson in why visual acuity, patient perception, adaptation,and tolerance can really surprise you.

I received a phone call from Mr. Jones concerning his wife. Mr.Jones was a patient of mine while his wife was not. Mr. Jonessaid that his wife had noticed some irritation during the priorevening in her left eye. The left eye was swollen and Mrs. Joneshad used some GenTeal drops and cool compresses during thenight, but it was still bothering her. Mrs. Jones is a 78 year oldwhite female with hypertension. She had last seen an ECP threeyears ago and there was nothing remarkable concerning her eyehistory, according to her. She was wearing photo grey extra glassprogressive lenses.

When she entered the exam room, it was obvious that her leftupper eyelid was swollen and the left cornea appeared to beslightly cloudy. Her pupils seemed to be unequal with a largerOS pupil. Mrs. Jones’ presenting visual acuity with her glasseswas OD: 20/80 and OS: Light Perception! Her examinationunder the biomicroscope showed cortical cataracts and nuclearsclerosis cataracts in both eyes, a cloudy cornea OS, very narrowangles OU, a swollen, ptotic eyelid OS, and her left pupil wasfixed and dilated. There was the presence of granular materialpresent on the capsule of the left lens. There was little to no viewof the posterior poles. Upon checking her intraocular pressureswith a non-contact tonometer, her IOP’s were OD: 18 and OS:60 mm Hg @ 12:30 PM.

This was an obvious emergency situation. I immediately madea phone call to an ophthalmologist who saw her an hour later.As I escorted the Jones’ to their car, I advised Mr. Jones to keep

OD PerspectiveJason Smith, OD, MS

Visual Acuity, Visual Perception, Adaptation, and Tolerance:A Case Study that Perplexes

As eye care professionals, our main focus for our patients is to improve their vision. Naturally,this improvement can be by optical aids, medications, or by surgical means. I am sometimessurprised by the patients who come to us unaware that they have significantly reduced vision.

OCT2011.qxd 9/30/11 9:39 AM

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OCT2011.qxd 9/30/11 2:50 PM


Mrs. Jones near to him. Falls among visually disabled elderlypeople are quite common and Mrs. Jones had a major visionproblem. She did not need a hospitalization for a broken leg orhip to compound her vision problems. My instructions to herwere, “take baby steps and be extra careful with everything untilI see you again. And absolutely no driving!”

As ECPs, we usually care for and manage primary care problems. Many questions entered my mind concerning Mrs.Jones including: what happened at her eye exam 3 years ago,what was her visual acuity 3 years ago, was she advised that herangles were narrow and that there may be a risk of narrow angleglaucoma, what were her intraocular pressures 3 years ago,would a laser iridotomy within this 3 year period have saved hervision in her left eye, and how bad were her cataracts 3 years ago?

I was also startled by the fact that this intelligent womanallowed her vision to get so bad in one eye without noticing it.She was shocked when I covered her right eye and she could notsee the eye chart out of her left eye. Not only could she not seeit, but she could not count my fingers at 3 feet, and could notsee my hand move in front of her. And, how does one functionsafely with 20/80 vision out of the better-seeing eye? She was literally one step away from having no light perception or blindness in her left eye and was oblivious to that fact.

I spoke to the ophthalmologist during her appointment. Heindicated that her problems included a closed angle with abrunescent cataract, and pseudoexfoliation of the lens capsuleof the left eye. A B-scan was performed showing no retinaldetachment or tumors present in the posterior segment of theleft eye. Cosopt, atropine, and pred acetate drops were pre-scribed for the left eye BID. She will be following up with thesurgeon in order to determine the next course of action as theleft eye quiets down. She will also be going back to the ophthal-mologist in November for another medical/surgical evaluationof both eyes.

I saw her again in order to improve her vision in the right eye.Her refraction was OD: -0.25-2.25 X 180/ Add +2.50. Her visual acuity OD was 20/60, J1 corrected. I plan to update herprescription with polycarbonate Transitions lenses and place atemporary balance lens in front of her left eye. We discussed thefact that cataract surgery will be in her future for the right eye.The decisions for the left eye are on hold for now. She did indicate to me that her left eye felt much better now that thepressures have come down into the 30’s, which is still too high.It was certainly an improvement from pressures of 60! Cataractsurgery on the left eye may help reduce the IOP and may allowmore light to enter the eye. The visual outcome may be “guarded” at best, but I am hoping for some improvement inher left eye.

One’s visual acuity and visual perception are inter-related whenit comes to seeing and vision. According to the Dictionary ofVisual Science, visual acuity is defined as “acuteness or clearnessof vision which is dependent on the sharpness of the retinalfocus, the sensitivity of the nervous elements, and the interpre-tative faculty of the brain. Visual acuity varies with the region ofthe retina stimulated, the state of light adaptation of the eye,general illumination, background contrast, the size and thecolor of the object, the effect of the refraction of the eye on thesize and the character of the retinal image, and the time ofexposure.”

The Dictionary of Visual Science also defines perception as “theappreciation of a physical situation through the mediation ofone or more senses.” Awareness, experience, and cognition willaffect visual perception. There are some psychological affectsthat will affect visual perception. According to the Webster’sDictionary, adaptation is defined as “adjustment of a senseorgan to the intensity or quality of stimulation.” Tolerance isdefined as “the relative capacity to endure or adapt physiologi-cally to an unfavorable environmental factor or the allowabledeviation from a standard.”

In this case, visual acuity, perception, adaptation, neurologicalabilities, and psychological behaviors played a role in Mrs. Jonesability to “function” until she reached a point where these connections eventually broke down and she sought help. Somequestions for this case will remain a mystery. As human beings,we are able to adapt to situations that under other circumstances would be totally unacceptable. Why did Mrs. Jones suddenly one night become aware that there was a problem in her left eye? If there was not the problem of herpressures and glaucoma, how could she have seen through 3+cortical cataracts and nuclear scleroic cataracts? How could shehave thought that her vision was “ok” when the pressures in theleft eye were damaging the optic nerve? And she was “function-ing,” watching TV, reading, and driving! At least, she thoughtthat she was “functioning.” For anyone else, this situation wouldhave meant a call to the ECP years ago.

This is still the most dramatic case that has ever entered myoffice. It was dramatic because there were so many problemswithin one eye. A significant cataract, by itself should have beenenough of a problem that the patient sought care. Cornealswelling by itself should have been the same. Intraocular pressures of 60 mm Hg should have been an even more urgentproblem than either of the above two issues. Yet, this patientneeded all three significant problems in order to seek help andeven then the help was sought by her husband. I wish that I hadseen Mrs. Jones several years ago. It may have prevented theproblem that she now will have for the rest of her life.Education, awareness, and preventative care presumably couldhave gone a long way on the part of her previous ECP. ■

OCT2011.qxd 9/30/11 9:39 AM

1To view the study overview go to signetarmorlite.com//marketing/brandstudy.pdf

Kodak and the Kodak trade dress are trademarks of Kodak, used under license by Signet Armorlite, Inc. Transitions is a registered trademark of Transitions Optical Inc. ©2011 Signet Armorlite, Inc.

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OCT2011_POC.qxd 10/3/11 1:28 PM Page 1

Continued on page 44


WHEN TEAM SPORTS are played, thedesired outcome depends upon the playersknowing the play that’s coming, knowinghow to execute that play, and knowing theirpart in the play being called. When the playis called and the team members start to execute it, another factor enters in: everymember of the team must actually do whatthey’re expected to do and to the best oftheir ability.

Imagine a football team being in the huddlewhere the quarterback calls the play. Everyplayer in the huddle hears the play butthinks about another way to execute thatplay. Instead of the receiver running down-field for ten yards and cutting to the left,he decides that he’ll just go downfield forfifteen yards and cut right. The linemenhear the pass play called but decide to block for a running play.The backfield players decide to run in circles so the defense willbe distracted. The outcome would be disaster! The opposingteam would be more likely to score!

The same can happen in an optical practice. Our goal may beexcellent, even legendary customer service, but our outcomemay be disaster unless every player does their job to the best oftheir ability every time. As a way to help this become a reality inyour practice, this article is designed to provide you with:a) A memorable phrase – “Every play, Every way, Every day” andb) A brief discussion of the essential nature of each element.

Every Play(er): Okay, I changed the phrase a little. It takes everyplayer on your team to provide excellent customer service.If every player except one gives excellence, you can almost betthat the very customer you don’t want to be mishandled will bemishandled by that one team member who doesn’t give excel-lent service. It’s a form of Murphy’s Law (If something can gowrong, it will go wrong, and at the worst possible time.)

The one patient you mishandle will be theone who Tweets, Yelps and Facebooks everycontact they have about your poor customer service. Electronic communica-tion about poor customer service is faster byfar than word-of-mouth.

My daughter, our practice business manag-er, can post something on her Facebookpage and her brother in Germany, her sisterin Illinois, as well as her “friends” all overthe country will be able to know about it inseconds! Okay, so all her friends inCalifornia or Illinois may never be turnedoff to our practice in Texas but do we reallywant that out there? No! When a bad experience at your practice gets posted,it’s out there for potentially everyone to see – possibly forever! Every player on your

team must keep this in mind.

Every player must also have an attitude of excellent customerservice. Your daily attitude is your choice. You can choose tohave a bad attitude because you have problems or because youdon’t feel well. You can also choose to have a great attitude, onethat decides to overcome the difficulties being faced. It’s yourchoice but your practice needs for you to choose to have a greatattitude that will deliver excellent customer service.Sports players who have a poor attitude – anything other thana winning attitude – pull their team down. Attitudes are contagious so make yours a positive one.

The second part of this first phrase is Every Play. Just like theteam on the field, every play must be done with excellence.If one player decides to let down and goof off on one play, thatcould possibly be the play that dooms the team to losing on thatday. Every team member must be committed to excellent customer service and they must be executing it with everypatient. One letdown can become a lost patient and every lostpatient represents at least $300 per year in lost revenue.

Practice ManagementGary Fore, ABOC

Every Play, Every Way, Every Day

OCT2011.qxd 9/30/11 9:41 AM

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How many of those can your practice stand? If you multiplythat one, unhappy, lost patient by the number of people theytell about their bad experience, you have a very unhealthyreturn for that one letdown. Excellence on every play comesfrom excellent practice.

Do you realize how many hours are expended by players on ateam practicing each play? They train in the ‘off season,’ in thepre-season and during the regular season. They get coached bythose who know the player’s position. They have team drills,position drills and situation drills. They do weight training,quickness training and reaction training. They practice inter-squad drills. They scrimmage. They’re training all season long,practicing every play in the book just to be able to be goodenough to win the game.Does your practice have coaches foryour position? Does your practice take training that seriously?Having excellent customer service does not come by accident.To the contrary, it comes by dedication, practice, training andgreat execution on every play by every player.

Every Way: Good teams find a way to win. This is true for teamsports and optical practice teams. They do everything they haveto do so that the outcome is favorable. That’s an optical practiceteam finding a way to win on every play.

Is one player not in the best health that day? Others help out. Isthere a missing player? Others fill in the gap. Is something notgoing well? Someone steps in to make the play that’s needed.

Most sports teams will have what’s called ‘skill’ position players.It’s not that every position doesn’t require skill to play it. Theyall need that. However, some positions need people with a special set of skills to handle the job at that position. The sameis true in an optical practice.

It takes a special set of skills to run an edger, diagnose why thepatient “can’t see” with their glasses, or make sure the databaseis correct and up to date. In like manner, in your practice therewill be people who have that special skill of being able to han-dle patients who bring all their troubles with them. Yes, I’veheard that there are no difficult patients, only patients with difficulties. I also think the one who originated that phrase hasnever met the patients who seem to be able to find somethingwrong with the time of day!

But then, that’s another subject. When those patients come in,turn them over to your skill player who hasn’t met a person whorattles them or gets them upset. This skill player seems to beable to take a curmudgeon and turn them into a smiling, satis-fied patient who says, “Thank you” as they leave. That’s a valu-able skill player. Use them where they’re valuable to the practice.Find a way to deliver excellence on every play and you will havea winning team.

Every Day: Excellent customer service is created by every player, on every play in every way giving their best every day.Your practice may be open every day and not observe a day ofrest but there truly is no day of rest when it comes to customerservice. Recently, I had a great customer service experience.

I went to a local store regarding the battery for my wife’sSmartphone. The woman there recognized us and asked howwe were doing (even though we hadn’t seen her for severalmonths.) When we explained the problem we were having withthe battery, she responded with an assurance that, since we hadpurchased the protection plan, it was a simple fix. As she finished recalling our information from the computer, she toldus that she would print out the information, call the companyfirst thing the next business day and have the new batteryshipped directly to our home without shipping or handlingcharges. We thanked her and, while walking away, I comment-ed, “Now, that’s the way it’s supposed to work!”

Admittedly, we didn’t ask her to do something that wasn’t covered, as some of our patients do. We also didn’t ask forsomething free to which we weren’t entitled which, again, someof our patients do. The point is that we had excellent customerservice by a friendly agent of the company without hassle. Ourbattery problem disappeared in our minds, knowing that it wassolved and was solved in an excellent way.

A couple of days later, I received a message from the agent saying that the battery was out of stock so, to keep us from waiting, they were sending a check for the cost of a new battery.We could either wait for the check or go online and order onefrom a web site she recommended at a savings of about 50%and then deposit the check when it comes. If we had any otherquestions, she gave us her number and when she could bereached. Great follow-up!

In our practices, we must ensure that we are giving every daywhat will become legendary customer service. There simply isno letup allowable. Yes, there are days when your car didn’t startand you had to get to work some other way. Yes, now you havea repair bill gnawing at you. Yes, there are cranky coworkers,cracked coffee carafes and a host of other things weighing onyour mind. Mostly, your patients could care less. They wantexcellent customer service in spite of your throbbing headache.That’s just life in the customer service lane, isn’t it?

All our personal struggles won’t go away with that patient whocame in with a frown and left with a smile and a “thank you,”but, at the end of the day or week, you will know that you didyour best to give excellence on every play, in every way everyday. That will produce a long term success and build legendarycustomary service where people will want to come where youwork. Now, go long and I’ll throw you one to win the game. ■


OCT2011.qxd 9/30/11 9:42 AM

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Opticom 23 800-678-4266 www.opticom-inc.com

Optogenics 31 800-678-4225 www.optogenics.com

Precision Optical Group 41 800-497-9239 www.precisionopticalgroup.com

PPG Industries 17 800-358-8258 www.nxt-vision.com/zeiss

Rudy Project USA FRONT COVER 888-860-7597 www.rudyprojectusa.com

SEIKO Eyewear 9 800-235-LENS www.seikoeyewear.com

Signet Armorlite INSIDE FRONT COVER 800-759-4630 www.signetarmorlite.com

Smile Reminder 21 866-605-6867 www.smilereminder.com

Tabco Optical 39 800-394-9285 www.tabcooptical.com

Tech-Optics 47 800-678-4277 www.techopticsinternational.com

US Optical 39 800-445-2773 www.usoptical.com

Vision Council 13 800-811-7151 www.thevisioncouncil.org

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OCTOBER 2011 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | 47

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Last LookJim Magay, RDO

I had to run to the post office yesterday to mail a package. I wastoo late for the window service but in the lobby was a line ofpeople waiting to use an automated scale and postage dispenser.

Yes, you could insure, register, and get delivery confirmation allby yourself with the swipe of a credit card and the pressing of afew buttons on a touch screen. Another afternoon a week or solater I visited Staples to get some flyers made up for a fundrais-er we were participating in. The young clerk in the print shopdirected me to a huge copy machine in the corner, showed mehow to insert my credit card, select the number of copies Ineeded and press the appropriate button – and then get areceipt from another machine across the room.

Automation, a wonderful thing – no sick days, no labor strife,theoretically accessible 24/7, eliminates all those jobs with theirattendant human problems, no need for a water cooler ‘causethere is no one to stand around it in the AM talking over the latest episode of 30 Rock.

But what are we losing? The President and Congress pay lipservice to “JOBS,” but their corporate backers are off-shoringwhat jobs there are to foreign countries while our unemployedranks continue to grow.

A website called whywork.org has many thoughtful ideas relat-ing to jobs and unemployment that differ remarkably fromWashington’s (and our own) point of view. Many farseeingsocial thinkers have suggested intelligent and plausible plans foradapting to a society of rising unemployment. Here are someexamples.

1. The National Dividend. Invented by engineer C. H.Douglas and revived by poet Ezra Pound and designerBuckminster Fuller. The basic idea (although Douglas,Pound, and Fuller differ on the details) is that every citizen should be declared a shareholder in the nation,and should receive dividends on the Gross NationalProduct for the year. A share would be worth severaltimes as much, per year, as a welfare recipient receives— at least five times more.

2. The Guaranteed Annual Income. Urged by economistRobert Theobald and others. The government wouldsimply establish an income level above the poverty lineand guarantee that no citizen would receive less; if yourwages fall below that level, or you have no wages, thegovernment makes up the difference. This plan woulddefinitely cost the government less than the presentwelfare system, with all its bureaucratic red tape andredundancy: a point worth considering for those conservatives who are always complaining about thehigh cost of welfare.

3. The Negative Income Tax. Devised by Nobel economistMilton Friedman and is a less radical variation on theabove ideas. The Negative Income Tax would establisha minimum income for every citizen; anyone whoseincome fell below that level would receive the amountnecessary to bring them up to the standard.

What do you think? A Utopian vision where every person couldchoose their own path to self fulfillment without fear of pover-ty, or a Darwinian struggle where only the fittest survive? ■

OCT2011.qxd 9/29/11 2:00 PM

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OCT2011_MJ.qxd 9/29/11 11:00 AM Page 1

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eyecare professional magazine october 2011 issue

Documents

ecp staffsociety

fashionable ecp

opticians page

pm page

anthony record

warren mcdonald

judy canty

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